Apparatus for cleaning liquor-faucets and their keg connections



(No Model.)

A e J. P. BOLLMANN. v yAPPARATUS POR CLEANING LIQUOR PAUGBTS- AND THEIRKEG GONNEGTIUNS.

l Patented July 18,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN F. BOLLMANN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING LIQUOR-FAUCETS AND THEIR KEG CONNECTIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,645, dated July 18,1893.

' T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOHN F. BOLLMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Device for SimultaneouslyCleaning Liqucr-Faucets and their Keg Connections; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which form partof this specification.

In numerous saloons, and other similar resorts where certain kinds ofliquors are sold on tap, it is customary to keep the kegs or barrelsthat contain the beverages in the cellar of the house, and connect saidkegs with the discharge cocks or faucets by pipes and hose, the liquorsbeing raised and then forced out of said cocks by means of compressedair. But these cocks, with their pipes, hose and other connections, soonbecome foul and impart a disagreeable flavor to the liquors, especiallyduring warm weather, and my invention comprises a peculiar constructionof tank and attachments wherewith the entire apparatus can be readilyand thoroughly cleansed with hot water and then have its temperaturelowered with cold water, as hereinafter more fully described'.

In the annexed drawings,-Figure l is a view showing the customaryarrangement of pipes, hose, dac., wherewith a beer keg is connected to adischarge cock or faucet. Fig. 2`

is a similar view, but showing the same connections attached to mycleansing tank. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical-section through the topof said tank and its accessories.

A represents an ordinary discharge cock or faucet, such as generallyemployed in saloons and beer gardens, and B is a sink that receives thedrippings from said cock, a pipe C being attached to the latter andcarried down into a cellar or other cool place below the saloon.

D is a hose that couples the lower end of this pipe to the upper end ofanother pipe E, having a cock e, the pipe EV being' somewhat longer thanan ordinary beer-keg F, so as to extend down to the bottom of the latterwhen Y stood on end.

G is any approved form of device that enables the ready tapping of a kegand the prompt application of pipe E, a nipple g be- Application iledFebruary 7, 1893. Serial No. 461,355. (No model.)

ing arranged'on one side of this tapping device for the attachment ofanother piece of hose H. The other end of this hose is connected to acock h of reservoir I, from which a pipe z' leads to an automatic pumpor other appliance capable of maintaining a constant pressure of airwithin said reservoir, which pressure must be sufficient to force theliquor out at the cock A.

As above described, 'the apparatus dil'ers ments of ordinary saloons,and only a very slight change is necessary in this apparatus to enablemycleansing device to act therewith. Said device is seen in Fig. 2, whereJ represents a closed sheet-metal tank having at bottom a pit j whichenables said vessel to be applied to any stove or range. This tank isnot as large as a beer keg, and is readily carried about by means of ahandle or bail K. Furthermore, this tank has a nipple L, stuffing box M,and a hose coupling N.

O, in Fig. 3, is a bar extending across the tank, directly under itstop, and riveted to its sides at o, o', the object of this bar being toafford an extended bearing for the screwthreads of the devices L, M andN, to engage with.

When it is desired to clean out the faucet A, and its attachments C, D,E, the tank J is first filled with water and set on a stove or rangeuntil the water about reaches the boiling point, and then said tank iscarried down to the cellar, and coupled to the beer apparatus in thefollowing manner: Air-hose I-I is disconnected from the nipple g of thetapping device G, and pipe E is pulled out of said device, it beingunderstood that the cleansing operation takes place when a keg is empty.The keg is rolled out of the way, the tank J put in its place, and stoodupon a suitable support P, after which act,-the pipe E .is inserted inthe stuflingbox M, and carried down to the bottom of said tank, thestuffing box being then screwed up to prevent leakage. Hose I-I is nowattached to the nipple L, and another hose R, screwed to the coupling N,and then cock h is opened to allow the compressed air from reservoir Ito act directly upon the surface of the hot water contained within thetank J, the cock r being now closed. Consequently, when cock Ais openedthe boil- .in no respect from the beer dispensing equip- ICO ing waterwill be driven up the pipe E, hose D, pipe C, and then escape from saidcock into f the waste sink B, which latter can communicate with a seweror other outlet. The result of this operation is to cleanse the entireapparatus in the most thorough and expeditious manner, but all themetallic parts become Very highly heated, and considerable time would bewasted in waiting for them to cool, unless some expedient were adoptedto lower the temperature of the apparatus immediately. This reduction oftemperature, however, is readily effected by first closing the cock h,then opening the cock r, and permitting a stream of cold water to enterthe tank J, ascend the pipe E, hose D, pipe C, and escape at the cock A,thereby cooling these devices in a very few minutes, and as soon as thisresult is accomplished, cock r is closed,

cock h, again opened and the compressed air is allowed to expel all thewater from the tank. `Pipe E is now pulled out of the tank J, which isthen removed and a full keg of beer putin its place. The faucet is thenconnected to will be more thancompensated for by the absence of any foulor disagreeable flavors in liquors drawn from the tap or faucet. It isalso evident that the boiling water does not contain sufficient heat toinjure the hose, packing-rings, and couplings of the apparatus, and asthe temperature is soon lowered by the current of cold water, there isno leakage at the joints, neither is there any danger of the apparatnsexploding by steam generating within it. Finally, the pipe C maycommunicate with a coil contained within an ice-box S, seen in Fig. I.

I claim as my invention- An apparatus for cleansing liquor-faucets, andtheir keg-connections, which apparatus consists of a closed tank J,having a nipple L, to which is applied a hose H comm unicating with acompressed-air reservoir I, a stuffing-box M, traversed by a tube E, towhich is attached a hose D, communicating with the liquor-'dischargepipe C; and a coupling N, to which is attached a hose R, communicatingwith a cold-water supply-pipe, all as herein described, and for thepurpose stated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in l presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN F. BOLLMANN. Witnesses:

JAMES H. LAYMAN, ARTHUR MOORE.

